#1 their articles are pollution when you're trying to find scripts and programs: they don't provide technical resources, just nonsensical rambling (gee, thanks!)
#2 they are spreading misinformation (from their lack of qualifications on technical topics) and are not qualified to talk about it (from their lack of qualifications on technical topics)
Before I get into about how they're lying about telemetry and not bringing up the *TECHNICAL* issues, let's check their linkedin profiles as to what their professions are, SURELY they would have been in the I.T. industry and have obtained their certs. Someone who makes a technical statement (which they're not actually doing) about telemetry and its function and operation should have some technical qualifications. Items highlighted in yellow are identical skills that they both use on their profiles:
Woody Leonhard (https://www.linkedin.com/in/woodyleonhard)
Copy Editing, Proofreading, HTML, Public Speaking, Research, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Technical Writing, Marketing Strategy, Creative Writing, Blogging, Project Management, Microsoft Office, Publishing, Content Management, Public Relations, Editing, SEO, Freelance Writing, Journalism, Customer Service, Team Leadership, Writing, Editorial, Marketing Communications, Online Advertising, Books, New Business Development, Web Content, Online Marketing, Content Development, Content Strategy, Copywriting, Feature Articles, Newsletters, Social Networking, Press Releases, WordPress, Windows, JavaScript, Publications, Magazines
Ed Bott (https://www.linkedin.com/in/edbott)
Online Publishing, Content Management, Publishing, Blogging, Editorial, Content Strategy, Social Media, Web Content, Editing, Social Networking, Digital Media, Technical Writing, Books, Journalism, Publications, Content Development, CMS, Internal Communications, Marketing Communications, Corporate Communications, Magazines, Strategic Communications, Public Relations, Copywriting, Feature Articles, Online Journalism, WordPress, Press Releases, Strategic Partnerships, News Writing, AP Style, Web Content Management, Storytelling, Content Writing, Newsletters, Media Relations, Digital Marketing, User Experience, Publicity, Online Marketing, Writing
Okay, so there's two things:
#1 They both have skills listed that MIRROR one another (which means their opinions have a huge potential to be mirrored)
#2 Few to none qualifications that have anything to do with I.T. (Woody does have HTML and JavaScript, but still sidesteps nonetheless as we'll see)
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With that, let's proceed to the telemetry articles in question.
Sources:
The truth about Windows 7 and 8.1 'spy patches'
http://www.infoworld.com/article/298194 ... 80149.html
Is Windows 10 telemetry a threat to your personal privacy?
http://www.zdnet.com/article/is-windows ... l-privacy/
No, Microsoft is not spying on you with Windows 10
http://www.zdnet.com/article/no-microso ... indows-10/
Woody Leonhard wrote:The patches are opt-in, easily turned off, and part of a long-established campaign of gathering data under the CEIP
Ed Bott wrote:As far as I can tell, that "off switch" already exists, and when it's flipped to the correct position, I believe there's virtually no chance that Windows 10 telemetry information constitutes even a remote privacy issue.
If that's the case, why do security specialists (like Safer-Networking Limited) state that it is actually quite difficult to turn everything off? BOTH Ed Bott and Woody Leonhard FAIL to mention all of the services and mechanisms involved with Telemetry, why not provide that information if they know so much about Telemetry and the services? Hello? Hi. Not to mention in Windows 10 there's even more faculties which have to be "immunized" by Spybot Anti-Beacon. I quote:
Spybot Anti-Beacon FAQ wrote:While Microsoft have included the ability to disable certain telemetry options in Windows 10, it can be quite difficult to disable all of these manually. For this reason, we have created a tool that will do this with the click of a button, and can be updated to include telemetry additions added by Microsoft in the future.
So WHY are Woody and Ed so defensive over the fact that no, it's not *EASILY* possible to do this? Woody mentions the HOSTS file in brevity about the bypassing claim (which I don't care about), but never mentions the fact it can be used for *future* updates by microsoft. Ed Bott isn't technical so offers nothing constructive.
Woody Leonhard wrote:Conspiracy theories are gaining steam as accusations about Microsoft "spy patches" heat up. But a much larger part of the story may sound familiar to any experienced Windows or Office user.
Ed Bott wrote:The bizarre belief that Windows 10 is a spying tool keeps popping up among conspiracy theorists.
Optional CEIP with mandatory telemetry services is spying. SOME of it can be turned off in the GUI, but the average user doesn't know how to edit the HOSTS file--heck, Ed Bott probably doesn't even know what it is. In fact, I'm starting to feel that these two muddle CEIP and telemetry-- not all of it is "easily" turned off manually. Oh, sure the enterprise version gives you even more flexibility, but it should be CONSISTENT.
Also I may add that even if opted out of CEIP, telemetry can still communicate to vortex-win.data.microsoft.com.
Anyways it's getting late so I'll leave at this for now. Microsoft isn't clear what data goes to vortex-win (I've checked all of their documentation and came up empty handed). So again, if your computer's serial or MAC address(es) is collected, while not traditionally considered "personal", it still identifies your computer.